15 things young people often ignore and then regret when they are old

When asked what 50-year-olds appreciate that 20-year-olds often overlook,Quora- knowledge sharing forum, American female lawyerPhyl Bean has an answer that many people think about and want to spread.

Here are some lessons thatPhyl Bean draws from half a century of life experience, according toInc:

1. Be kind.The benefits of being kind—or at least being nice—far outweigh the effort. Do random acts of kindness. Compliment someone. If a salesperson or server makes a mistake, be understanding and patient. Kind people outlive mean people.

2. Understand yourself.You know yourself better than anyone else. Don’t let other people’s opinions dictate what you do, what you wear, or what you say. Other people’s opinions are for reference only, you can follow them or not.

3. Everyone has the same worries and insecurities as you., it's just that some people are better at hiding it. It doesn't mean they're smarter or more capable than you.

4. Laugh it off.If you make a mistake, fail, or do something stupid, just laugh it off. Others (and you) will forget it faster if you don’t dwell on it. Give yourself a break.

5. Don't try to "fit in".Be yourself. Confidence creates charisma. Besides, great leaders wouldn't have achieved what they have by following the crowd.

6. Don't try to hold on to a bad relationship, even for the children's sake..Often, children living in homes with unhappy parents are more "toxic" than those with divorced parents.

7. Objects are just objects.Sure, things get broken, and often by loved ones. That sucks. But things can be replaced. You can never erase the hurtful things you said to loved ones when they broke them. Things are never as important as love.

8. You may be much smartercompared to self-assessment.

9. Don't judge.You don’t know everything. The woman who runs out into the street with her child in the back seat of her car, not buckled in, may be panicking and rushing to the hospital for an emergency you don’t know about. The big kid throwing a tantrum in the middle of the store may be autistic and have lost control of himself, which he hates as much as you do. The fat lady in the bikini may have lost 20 pounds and be proud of what she’s achieved. Don’t make fun of people for smoking, drinking, or being overweight. We all have flaws and bad habits.

10. Never lose the child inside you.Dance, sing, tell silly jokes. Slide down slides, bounce, play in a bounce house (if adults are allowed). This is the advantage of getting older. When you're 20, people often think you're "too old" for these childish things, but a 50-year-old doing them seems adorable. And even if they don't, let them.

11. Don't make big decisions just to please other people.Maybe your parents want you to go to college, but you want to go to trade school and become an auto mechanic because that’s your passion. Or maybe (like in my case), your parents don’t want you to go to college, but you really want to be a lawyer. Your life is yours. The world needs good mechanics as well as good lawyers.

12. Don't beat yourself up over your mistakes.Do what you can to make things right, then let it go. Guilt is only good for pushing you forward to do the right thing. Besides, shame is just as toxic as worry, eating you away from the inside.

13. Enjoy life.Simply stop and smell the flowers. Explore the wonderful world around you. Smile at strangers and see how many smiles you can get in return. Be happy.

14. Life goes by so fast.Live each day so that at the end you will realize how wonderful life is, with no regrets about what you did or didn't do.

15. Life is better after 50.